Bird Battle

A few days ago we ate lunch at a restaurant with a deck that looked out over the ocean.  It was an amazing spot due to the views, but it did have one small problem.  The local birds viewed this outdoor dining area as a wonderful snack bar.  Having been fed by hundreds of stupid tourists, they were bold as brass about coming on to your table, getting right up next to you, and stealing things off your very plate (if you let them).  Some might find this amusing, but I do not think we should feed wild birds or encourage them to be so familiar.  Therefore, armed with a drinking straw I whacked any bird that can within arms reach.  Okay, so maybe "whack" is too strong a word.  I wasn't trying to hurt them, but I did want to encourage them to head elsewhere.  Unfortunately, the striped mice were too fast for me.  It was a most memorable meal.